iMPACT 2/20/14: The Apologist’s Review

The show opens with Magnus and Dixie in the back talking about being nervous about their plans working out tonight, and MVP’s challenge at Lockdown. Dixie is clearly more focused on Lockdown while MAgnus wants her to focus on tonight and what they are going to do to make sure he beats Gunner in the main event. Eventually, they make their way to the ring, where Magnus calls out MVP to give him their decision about his challenge at Lockdown. Magnus says he isn’t impressed or sacred of MVP, and if MVP gets in the way of him winning his World Title match, he will make an example out of MVP. MVP, says he doesn’t care about MAgnus’ insecurities about being a paper champion, and says he is only out there to get an answer for his challenge to Dixie at Lockdown. Magnus accepts the challenge, and says that unfortunately that he will be unable to captain Team Dixie in Lethal Lockdown, because he will be defending his World Heavyweight Championship against Samoa Joe, he continues saying that MVP should consider himself lucky, because if Magnus really wanted to he could make MVP his bitch. MVP attacks Magnus after that remark, but EC3 quickly hits the ring to come to the aide of Magnus. Spud is seen telling security to keep The Wolves back, as they try to get passed him to the ring. Storm eventually comes out to make the save, and EC3 and Magnus scatter up the ramp to get away from him. As they do they bump into The Wolves and Magnus uses EC3 to get away while The Wolves take out Carter.

Bobby Roode is seen entering the arena, they camera guy asks what he meant from the comments he made about wrestling last week, about needing time to figure things out. Roode says what he has to say he will tell everyone later tonight in the ring.

EC3 bursts into Magnus locker room. He is demanding answers from Magnus for abandoning him, so that The Wolves could beat him up. Magnus says he did what he had to do. HE tells EC3 to stop being so selfish and doo what was right for Aunt D and nor what’s wright for EC3.

Samoa Joe is in the ring and calls out anybody from Team Dixie can come get them some. The BroMans with DJ Zema Ion respond to the open challenge. Before they can get the jump on Joe and gets the numbers edge, Joe saud find we can just go three on one.

Joe easily take all three men down quickly. He eventually tries to single out Zema Ion, but this leads to the BroMans being able to recuperate and attack Joe from behind. They all start trading turns hitting some high impact moves on Joe. The BroMans pick Joe up and hold him while IOn climbs the turnbuckles, it takes him to long though, as Joe reverses it and makes Ion hit his own tag-team partners. The BroMans and Ion try to regroup on the outside, but to no avail as Joe takes out both Robbie E and Jesse with a suicide dive to the outside. Joe gets IOn back in the ring to set up the Muscle Buster. Ion fights it off initially, but the second time’s the charm as Joe hits the buster this time, and locks in the Coquina Clutch for the win.

Winner: Samoa Joe

In the back Christie Hemme is changing out her mic, with someone on the technical crew. Samuel Shaw is lurking in the background. The tech makes a joke and Christie laughs, and walks away. Shaw swiftly sneaks up behind the tech and takes him out. Shaw then grabs Christie’s old mic and caresses it.

Bobby Roode is in the locker room of James Storm. Roode talks about how some of his best memories are of Beer Money. He apologizes to Storm for everything he has done over the past couple of years, and takes blame for all the bad blood. Before Roode can go too much further, James Storm cuts him off and tells him, that they both know the buisness is a grind and that Roode needs to stay the course. Roode tels Storm thank you, they hug it out, and Roode walks away.

Austin Aries is in MVP’s office. Aries asks MVP what he wants. MVP says he wants Aries as captain of Team MVP. Aries says he has been promised a lot of things form the people running TNA a lot of times and they haven’t ever followed through, and asks why he should believe MVP is any different. MVP tells him he can’t change the past, but can promise him a better TNA if Aries helps MVP secure control over TNA. Aries says he is flattered and will have to think about it.

Madison Rayne attacks Gail Kim as she makes her entrance. Rayne gets the early edge using a cookie sheet. Rayne keeps the momentum up until she lefts off for the shortest amount of time she uses to prop the cookie sheet in between the turnbuckles. Kim attack Rayne from behind and then finds a Kendo Stick, to choke the life out of Rayne. Rayne finally, hits a reversal and it’s straight into the propped up cookie sheet. Sending Kim to the floor. Rayne climbs off of the apron and hitting a move but Tapa was there intercept her. Tapa rams Rayne’s back into the edge of the ring before dropping her. Kim sets Rayne up for the corner figure four and locks in, after that she goe to get a chair st smash Rayne’s knee into the ringpost. Before Kim and swing the chair thought Rayne kicks it right back into her face. As Kim gets back into the ring Rayne is lying in wait to hit a huge spear. The Spear gets Tapa to climb into the ring. During the distraction Kim grabs the Knockout’s title and hits Rayne in the back of the head getting the pinfall for the win.

Winner: Gail Kim

In the back Anderson and Christie are hanging out as Anderson shows off baby pictures of his twins to Christie. Shaw is once again lurking and watching the interaction from a far, this time however, he sees the two and just walks away.

In the back the cameraman, is looking to get answer out of Ethan Carter the Third’s attack on Kurt Angle. EC3 says that everyone will just have to wait until Angle’s Hall of Fame induction next week.

gunner and James storm are in the locker room talking about Gunner;s title shot. Storm really works on putting over Gunner in every way as a pep talk. After the pep talk Gunner give Storm the briefcase with the world tag title shot, and says that it for Storm so they can have double gold.

Booby Roode heads to the ring and is in a very solemn tone. He says the being a pro wrestler was his dream and he has gotten to live it over the past 17 years, but even though he has been ruthless in the ring over the past couple, his attitude in the back was even worse making himself into a lone wolf in the locker room. He says that he is putting everything in the past, and working on making his future better, and to do that he needs to step away from pro wrestling. Hearing this Dixie Carter storms out to the ring irate, telling him that he has a contract, and that he cannot decide when he leaves TNA, only she does. Roode clearly doesn’t want to hear any of it. She tells him that she needs him as captain of Team Dixie at Lockdown. She even offers 10% of the company to him. Still believing it was too good to be true Roode gets her to agree that as long as Roode and his lawyers get to right up the contract that he wants. He eventually can’t turn down a shot a becoming part owner of the company, but he does give Dixie one last warning, saying if she tries screwing him at all he will make her life a living hell.

Jermey Borash is in the back with the German Gut Check winner. We see Anderson and Christie are still in the back. Before Borash can even really get the interview started Shaw attacks Anderson. He throws he into Christie, then into a garage door, knocking them both out. Shaw picks up Christie and carries her away.

Bad Influence are in the back with Roode. Daniel is stocked about having a member of E.G.O. becoming part owner of TNA and all the new opportunities they are going to have because of it. Roode cuts him off mid stream, saying that Lethal Lockdown is too important ot just let all his friends on the team, they would have to prove themselves in their match.

The Wolves vs. Bad Influence

Kaz and Edwards start the match with some good chain wrestling that ends when Daniels distracts Edwards so Kaz can get the advantage. Daniels is then quickly tagged in by Kaz, who continues to keep the early momentum on the side of Bad Influence, that is until he tries to sucker punch Richards. With that momentary lapse in concentration from Daniels, Edwards gets the upper hand as Richards enters the ring as the wolves take out both members of Bad Influence. They throw Kaz out fo the ring to work on Daniels, as Richards tries to climb up the turnbuckles, though, Kaz distracts him allowing Daniels to throw Richards all the way down to the floor, where Kaz can beat on him, with the ref distracted in the ring with Eddie Edwards. Back in the ring and daniels is pickup up where Kaz left up on Davey Richards, after a tag into Kaz he goes for a quick pin but only gets a two count. Kaz then swiftly puts Richards in a headlock. Richards fights out of it but a knockdown by Kaz allows him to tag out to Daniels. Bad Influence double teams Richards before Daniels goes for a pin, but only two. Daniels goes for another sucker punch, it doesn’t work this time though as The Wolves use it to take full advantage with Richards getting in the tag to Edwards. All four men hit the ring and The wolves quickly dispose of Kaz. Edwards hits the Chin Checker out of the corner while Richards lands a double foot stomp off the top rope, then another this time from Edwards, as he gets the pin and the win.

Winners: The Wolves

In the back Shaw has Christie and is laying her on a table. She starts to wake up and asks what happened. Shaw says to calm down and that everything will be alright. He notices the camera and starts charging towards it before the feed cuts.

Gunner vs. Magnus(C): No Disqualification match for the TNA World Heavyweight Title

The match starts of slow and is a bit of stalemate. Eventually, Magnus sinches in on a headlock and controls it for a while. Refusing to let go until Gunner gets into a position to use the ropes to whip Magnus off of him, leading to a series a knockdowns from both men. Genner winds up with the edge a throws Magnus into the corner, and charges in for a splash only to get a boot to the face., and then a knee to the back sending Gunner out to the floor. Magnus takes this as an opportunity to try and call for help, but do Magnus’ dismay james Storm and The Wolves are the ones who emerge from the curtain. This give Gunner a short lived offensive flurry off of the distraction, but Magnus is able to slow down the match locking in a camel clutch on Gunner. Gunner gets to his feet breaking the clutch but is almost immediately caught in a sleeper hold. Which Gunner break with a back body drop. Both men take a while to get up, and start trading punches when they do. Gunner gets the better of Magnus and goes for a shoulder block off the ropes but runs into a knee instead. Magnus hit s an elbow drop off of the top turnbuckle, but only gets a two fall. Magnus then goes and grabs the belt to use a s a weapon, but he swings and misses, allowing Gunner the chance to set up Magnus for the Torture Rack, but Magnus fights out of it. the two both take each other out with a move off of the ropes. EC3 and The BroMans hit the ring, coming in throw the crowd to avoid The Wolves and Storm. Ec3 and The BroMans face off with Storm and The Wolves as all six men fight into the back of the arena. After the fight Gunner is the first man to his feet and hits a huge power bomb on Magnus, followed by diving head butt. He goes for the pin, but Rockstar Spud puts Manus’ foot on the ropes at two. Gunner starts chasing after Spud. The distraction is enough for Magnus to get the belt and this time connect with a shot to the head of Gunner, who still finds a way to kick out at two. Storm comes out again to try and keep Spud’s interference from happening again as Gunner clearly has all the momentum on his side now. Hitting a splash in the corner, followed by a slingshot suplex. Gunner then mounts the ropes to go for his headbutt again but Spud gets in between Gunner and Magnus, causing another distraction. Not for long this time though as Storm Comes in and tosses Spud out of the ring with ease. Storm now in the ring cheering on his partner, as Gunner jumps off the top rope into a Last Call Superkick from James Storm. Magnus not really sure what’s going on goes for the pinfall and gets the 1,2,3.

Winner and STILL TNA World Heavyweight Champion Magnus

After the match both Spud and Magnus scurry up the ramp, leaving Storm in the ring standing tall over Gunner.

Overall another really solid episode of iMPACT. The Samuel Shaw story is great. there was some great in ring action and the stories are still really compelling. It was nice to see after year of being a bad guy Roode getting a face reaction from the crowd during his speech. Joe is still being booked like a unstoppable beast. Then the main event was shocking seeing James Storm turn heel on his partner they had tried to show as best of friends again. It really makes me want to see what’s going to happen next between the two, for the first time in this entire story. The knockouts match was great. Just nothing much to complain about in the entire episode.

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About thetnaapologist

Just a Wrestling fan that loves TNA. I became a fan back in the mid-90's nWo era WCW. Never been a nig fan of WWE, so when TNA came around, and then became popular, I was hooked all over again, and this is my thoughts on why LOLTNA should not exist.